Regrets
by XBgamer94
Summary: While the BPD team search for a serial killer loose in Boston, Maura discovers Jane is keeping something from her. Will she find out what? Super long one shot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rizzoli & Isles. The characters belong to Tess Gerritsen, Jan Nash, Janet Tamaro, and TNT. I am in no way profiting from this. It's just for fun.**

 **So this is my first prompt, given to me by Annajadekin. Somewhat AU, just a few minor things changed from Season 1... Hope you like it :)**

 **It's a really long one shot, but the chapters would've been too short if I broke it up. Be warned, some parts of the case are a little graphic.**

 **Italics are inner thoughts, and italics in bold is a conversation spoken in another language. You'll be able to tell which parts are what**

 **Enjoy! :D**

* * *

Regrets

"Stomach not agreeing with ya, Frostie?" Jane teased her partner, who had just come back into the crime scene wiping a napkin against his mouth.

"It was something I ate." Frost replied, but Jane wasn't buying it. She loved messing around with him.

"Uh huh."

"After what I just saw?" He exclaimed in disbelief, also jealous over the fact he couldn't stand the sight of a corpse like Jane could. "Damn right I'm gonna puke. This isn't normal even in our line of work."

The brunette squatted down beside the body to get a closer look, since Maura hadn't arrived yetand couldn't tell them anything about the victim.

"It looks like the body parts were cut off by some kind of power saw. Probably a surgical one." She commented absentmindedly during her examination, not even realizing she had said anything out loud.

Frost looked at her quizzically, careful to avoid the gruesome mess as best he could. "How can you tell that?" He asked, covering his mouth just in case he were to throw up again.

"The patterns are consistent with how neatly the body parts were taken off. The skin's barely been torn and the neck wounds match it, too."

"Wow..." First whistled softly. "I'm impressed."

Jane stood up and tried to conceal her blushing, then cleared her throat. "What? Girls know stuff about tools, too."

"Yeah I know but the way you can tell just by looking at the vic like that was really something."

"I probably get it from hanging around Maura during autopsies, I guess. Some of her genius is bound to rub off." Jane lamely came up with on the spot, hoping the excuse would distract him.

"I heard my name and the word genius, what did I miss?" Maura asked with an amused smile as she stepped into the room, wearing heels that looked so incredibly sexy to Jane but also left her wondering how Maura could even stand in those things let alone appear as if she were about to strut down a runway.

"Just telling Frost that your smarts is rubbing off on me." Jane smirked at her best friend, discreetly staring at her long legs up until she found hazel eyes gazing into hers. Maura didn't seem to notice Jane practically ogling her, the tall Italian inwardly slapping herself for almost getting caught.

"It was more than that." Frost cut in, Jane grateful for the distraction. "You should've seen the way she described the injuries and possible murder weapon used."

Maura quirked an eyebrow up, looking at Jane with a very intrigued expression on her face. "Before I examine the body, would you mind telling me what you think? I'm curious to see if you are correct in your hypothesis."

"Um... Yeah, sure." Jane almost stammered out, a little embarrassed and nervous to be put on the spot. "Well, the vic is a woman around 50. No ID yet, and it'll be a while before we find one. Her hands, feet, and ears were taken off and her throat was cut. The neat patterns suggest it was a type of power saw, probably a surgical one."

"Wow." Maura breathed out, clearly impressed like Frost was earlier. "That's quite a detailed theory. Let's see if you're right."

The Medical Examiner reached into her bag and pulled out two light blue latex gloves, quickly snapping them on as she lowered herself down to examine the body.

There was blood everywhere along the body that had flowed out and onto the hardwood flooring. Maura surmised that little to no blood was left inside the woman. Her ears, hands and feet were removed, but they hadn't been recovered on the scene yet. If they ever would be.

Maura leaned in closer, squinting her eyes at the gory torn skin. The way it was ripped apart was jagged in the entry, yet smooth along the rest of the way. A power saw most definitely was used for that.

"I believe you are correct, Detective." Maura smiled up at Jane. "This does look like the work of the type of power saw you mentioned, of course I'll have to run comparison tests back at the lab. How did you guess?"

"I don't know." Jane shrugged. "Being in the autopsy room with you so much helped me pick up a few things. That or watching Grey's Anatomy a lot. Nothing to brag about."

For some reason, Maura could sense that Jane wasn't telling the truth. She didn't know why, but Maura decided to let it go for now and talk about it with Jane later. Now really wasn't the time when they had a psycho to catch.

Maura resumed her examination, and turned over the victim to inspect the back areas for wounds. The deceased was moved onto her side, and just as Maura did so, the spinal cord fell out.

Frost's eyes bugged out at the horrific and gory sight, and immediately bolted out of the house.

Although Jane had a hard time stomaching this as well, she remained in her spot to stay with Maura.

"What kind of sick fuck does this?" Jane muttered in anger. "It looks like each individual bone was cut and just left there to fall out when we moved her."

The honey blonde continued to hold the body on its side, just as a few organs began slipping out.

"I'm not sure..." Maura finally answered a moment later, then added "But whoever did this must have had extensive knowledge of the human anatomy. The precision in each cut is too perfect and intricate for an amateur killer."

"Yeah, no kidding..." Jane scrunched up her face in disgust as she agreed with Maura's assessment. "I'm gonna run this through BRIC, see if this M.O. pops up somewhere else. I've got a feeling this isn't the first time there's been a victim like this. Just look at this scene." She waved her arm around the room, gesturing to how spotless it was. "Hardly any mess. No blood anywhere except for what spilled around the body. No spatter or signs of a struggle... We haven't found trace evidence of anyone besides the victim being here, and I doubt we will. Definitely professional and not sloppy."

"Do you think it's a serial killer or a hitman?" Maura wondered, trusting Jane's instincts about this sort of thing.

"My gut's telling me it's a serial killer... I don't think a hitman would do all of this. It's just too much... If it were a hitman, we'd probably find a couple of broken fingers and a bullet to the head. Nothing like _this_."

Maura returned her eyes to the body and grimaced. They were going to have a long night ahead of them.

* * *

Although Maura's head was facing away from the door during the autopsy, she could tell who had come in. The familiar sound of Jane's boots slightly stomping their way in brought a smile to the doctor's face.

Without taking her eyes off the grizzly wounds, Maura asked "Did you find anything upstairs?"

"Not yet. Frost and Nina are doing their computer thing but I thought I'd come down here to see if you had better luck."

"I haven't found any more information except what we discussed at the scene, I'm afraid. Speaking of which..." Maura trailed off for a second. "How did you know all of that? I know you sit in on the autopsies quite a bit, but still..."

Jane simply shrugged. "Like I said, I don't know. I just took a lucky guess."

Maura furrowed her eyebrows, knowing Jane was lying again. Her mind was now curious. Why would Jane hide something from her? They talk about everything together.

 _"Well, almost everything..."_ Maura thought to herself. She hadn't told Jane how she felt about her. But it wasn't like she could. Jane didn't seem to be interested in women, despite sometimes going along with the constant lesbian jokes her coworkers taunted her with. Granted, her relationships with men never worked out and ended disastrously, but Maura knew that didn't mean anything. Right?

Jane interrupted her daze by waving a hand in front of her face, saying "Hello in there?"

She blinked herself back into reality and shook her head, willing away the thoughts of being with Jane the way she desperately wanted.

"What?"

"Thought I'd have to run a brain scan on you or something..." Jane chuckled in relief. "You ok?"

"Oh, yes... I'm ok. I was just thinking..." Maura tried to think of a way to catch Jane in a lie again, and maybe coax whatever secret she had out of her.

"About what?"

"The way the spine was cut. It also looks like there's a large number of fractures on the lumbar, right here on the L4."

When Maura pointed to the section, Jane immediately looked concerned. "Do you need to take a break, Maur?"

"No, why do you ask?" Maura could feel the hives forming on her chest beneath the scrubs she was wearing, thankful they were hidden from Jane's sight.

"Because you just called the C7 vertebrae an L4 lumbar. You've never made a mistake like that before..."

"Oh, silly me." She pretended to be embarrassed by the error, knowing full well what each and every bone's correct name was by heart. "Well, I suppose it happens to the best of us."

"Something's up, I can tell." Jane said, weary and suspicious. The widened look in Maura's eyes told her she was right. "You _did_ do that on purpose."

"Uh oh..." She whispered, trying to conceal the hives on her neck but her gloved hands were too bloody to do so.

"Alright, what's going on?" Jane asked with an accusatory tone, noticing the little red splotches appear.

"Why don't you tell me?"

Maura wasn't sure where her confidence came from, maybe it was the way Jane was taken aback over by being confronted by the usually quiet and reserved woman that never once yelled or got mad at her.

"What do you mean?"

"The way you acted at the crime scene earlier, and a few minutes ago when I asked about it. It's like you're keeping something from me."

The detective rubbed a hand behind her neck, looking anywhere but at her best friend. "I'm not keeping anything from you." She mumbled almost incoherently.

Maura looked at her pointedly and said "You may not break out in hives when you lie but I don't need that to know when you're withholding the truth. What's going on? You can tell me anything, you know that."

Suddenly, Jane's cell phone rang loudly. Maura could swear she saw Jane exhale in relief as she read the text.

"Oh, that's Frost. He's got something... Um, gotta go. Talk later!"

Before Maura could say anything or attempt to stop her from leaving, Jane practically ran out of the autopsy room and back upstairs.

Now Maura is definitely determined to figure out what Jane is keeping from her. She wasn't usually the kind of person to pry, but this is her best friend. The one she loved.

 _"Once this case is over and we're alone together I'll ask her."_ Maura thought to herself as she picked up her scalpel. _"Maybe if we aren't around coworkers she may be more relaxed and inclined to open up about why she's been acting so different lately."_

* * *

"You've got great timing." Jane commented as she strolled into BRIC, where Frost and the new tech girl Nina were patiently waiting for her.

"Why's that?" First wondered, then grinned at a thought. "You and Maura get into a cat fight again?"

She walked right over to where he sat and smacked him on his shoulder with the back of her hand. "No. She just hasn't found anything yet, but I'm guessing you did because you called me up here."

"Yeah, I did." Her younger partner gestured to the computer screen. "We didn't find an ID on the vic but I was looking into the house she was found in. It's been vacant and on the market for a while. Good place to kill or dump a body. I tried finding the previous owners but the old man passed away... The realtor seems clean, so I'm not really worried about her."

"So why did you call me up here then? I thought you said you found something?"

"It's the lack of information I found."

"Smartass." Jane muttered as she laughed.

" _I_ found something, though." Nina announced, gaining the detectives attention. "While Frost was looking into the house, I was searching for similar victims."

"You got a hit?"

"Oh yeah." Nina smiled at her discovery. "There's been two dozen of these types of kills within the last five years. All throughout the country, but a large concentration within a hundred mile radius of here. Same M.O. and everything... Empty house, victim was always a woman between the ages of 25 and 50."

"And what about the way they were cut up?"

"The medical examiners all list the wounds were caused by a small power saw, most likely surgical like you said."

"Ok, so we've connected some of the dots..." Jane said, trying to piece things together a little more in her mind. "Frost, what have you found out about the realtor? She came up clean but maybe she's got someone who knows about the houses she sells or her coworkers do."

Frost shook his head no. "I looked through her entire career. She's only sold houses in Boston. Born and raised here, too. Nina and I checked the houses the victims were found in, and it looks like they were all different realtors from different companies. Maybe this guy just picks houses he knows are vacant and for sale?"

"Damn." Jane huffed as she plopped down into an empty chair.

"I know..." Frost frowned, equally disappointed by their progress so far.

"Did the medical examiners find IDs on the victims? Maybe there's a connection."

"Looking now." Frost answered, typing away on the computer for the requested info. Jane and Nina also pulled the information up to get through it quicker.

The brunette let out another frustrated sigh a few minutes later, her share of the files having no identities for the victims in each case.

"I've got nothing on my end so I'm guessing you guys probably won't, either." Jane said, pushing herself away from the desk.

"Nope." Frost answered first, Nina just shrugging her shoulders as a no. "Man, how the hell is this guy doing this? He goes all over the country killing these women, who we can't figure out who they are, and gets away without a single trace of evidence."

"Maura said whoever did it had extensive knowledge of the human body, so maybe we should look at doctors or military people with medical training."

"That's an endless search, though." Nina nearly groaned, but was more than ready to start searching.

"Yeah, but maybe we can narrow it down to those fired or dishonorably discharged? Possibly with a record. It's not much but it's all we have to work on for now."

* * *

"Susie, will you pass me the forceps?"

"Sure." Maura's assistant replied, quickly retrieving the tool. She handed it over, getting a thank you in response, and watched as Maura carefully used them to pull a tiny sliver of something that was lodged in the skin of the woman's back.

Maura took this little piece over to her microscope to get a closer look. As she adjusted the focus on the scope, the blonde said "It appears to be rubber, most likely from a boot."

"I'll run comparison tests." Susie responded, grabbing the lid of the tray holding the hopefully significant rubber piece. "I think it's from a boot, too. The way her spine was fractured... Like someone kicked her really hard."

"Exactly." Maura agreed. "Now if we can just figure out what type of shoe that came from, maybe that could help find the killer... Or at least narrow down the search."

The Senior Criminalist took the tray from her boss, speaking as she started to leave the room. "I'll get right on this."

"Thanks, Susie." Maura called out to her as she opened the door to head toward her lab.

When Maura resumed the autopsy, she paid close attention to the spine. Each bone had been carefully cut to sever it from the skeletal frame, so much care and precision taken to do so.

"Interesting..." Maura whispered to herself. "Why cut all of these bones so neatly, but not the last cervical one? It looks as though it was just ripped out, perhaps angrily. Very odd."

As Maura trailed her hazel eyes along the victim's cut and bruised face, she couldn't help but feel a deep pang of worry. She almost doesn't want Jane to be the one to find the killer, because of how dangerous and ruthless they were. But she knew this person needed to be stopped and there was no one better than her detective to do that.

Maura sighed at her internal battle of emotions and kept on working, desperately trying to distract herself from the "what if" scenarios unwillingly playing in loop in her head.

She examined the organs that had been detached and stuffed back inside the body. Why that was done, she hadn't a clue. Once she got to the uterus, Maura discovered signs of a pregnancy, estimating it was around 20 years ago.

"Now this is an interesting find. I've got to go tell Jane and the others."

With that, Maura pulled off her bloody gloves and proceeded to make her way to the elevators.

* * *

When Maura saw Jane as she entered the homicide bullpen a few minutes later, the brunette was teasing Korsak and Frankie.

"Now I know Frankie had a date I pulled him away from..." She heard her saying with a grin on her face. "But what's your excuse, old man?"

"Hey, I've got a sex life too, ya know." Korsak laughed loudly at Jane scrunching up her face in horror, reveling in their usual and goodhearted banter.

"Ew! I didn't ask about _that_ , I asked why it took you so long to get here."

Korsak raised an eyebrow, smirking at the younger woman. "Yeah? And that was my answer."

"Oh god, please stop." Jane groaned. "I don't want to hear any more."

"Alright, alright..." He waved it off as his laughter died down. "I'm here now. So what am I helping you guys with on my night off?"

"We're going through a long list of possible suspects. These guys have knowledge in the medical field and have been in trouble with the law before, even minor incidents. We're hoping one of them has been in the areas where each victim has been killed. It's not very likely all these men have been all of these places, especially right around the time the victims were killed."

It's then that Maura finally spoke up, approaching the small group.

"I may be able to help with that." Maura handed Jane a file of her recent findings. "I found evidence that shows this woman was pregnant around 20 years ago. I'm not sure if that's significant to the case, but you never know."

"That's great, Maur. Thanks." Jane smiled at her, nearly gasping at their hands making contact when she was given the file. _"Come on, Rizzoli! Keep your shit together!"_

Once Jane skimmed through the papers, a sudden thought occurred to her. She dashed back to her desk and pulled up the case file information on the other victims.

"Son of a bitch." Jane growled at her discovery.

Everyone in the room all asked "What?"

"They were all mothers."

Maura instantly thought of Dennis Rockmand, her face paling.

Jane saw Maura's face drain, and rushed to her side. She knew what she was thinking.

"He's dead, Maura. It isn't him."

The Isles woman looked visibly shaken, but feeling Jane's hands on her shoulders were very comforting. She took a deep breath, its release a little shaky and uneasy.

"I know... It's just difficult thinking about him." Maura quietly admitted.

"I know, sweetie. I feel the same way about Hoyt."

"There's another Dennis out there. Jane, you've got to find him before he does this to someone else."

"We'll do our best." Jane swore with conviction and determination. "You know we will."

Just as Jane consoled Maura with a hug, Susie came in to the room. She walked over and said "There you are... Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Is everything ok?"

Maura reluctantly pulled away from the soothing embrace. "Yes, we're fine. Did you need me?"

"The results from the lab on that sliver of old rubber." Susie told her as she handed over a thin folder.

"Wow, that was fast. Nice job, Susie."

"Thanks... It wasn't hard to find a match, there aren't many made like that so it was pretty easy. The piece of rubber you found definitely came from a military boot. There was also trace particles that are consistent with the type of boot only used by the Army. Here's the kicker, though..." Susie chuckled at her pun. "That type of boot is no longer used, they stopped using it in 2003."

"Army..." Jane whispered, deep in thought for a moment. "That definitely helps us. Thanks, Susie... Just when we thought we were going nowhere in the case, you two come up here with great leads."

"We're just doing our jobs." Maura replied honestly, smiling in appreciation at Jane's kind words.

"And you guys are damn good at it, too." She looked at the others and said "Come on, let's find this bastard."

* * *

It took them four days. Four long days of barely any sleep or break time. They were on the hunt and wanted to find this killer before the leads could get too cold. After this length of time, the group finally sifted through most of their suspects, only 48 people left.

The list was evenly divided amongst the detectives to sift through quicker, wanting to find the killer as soon as possible. Every second was precious. For all they knew, someone would be targeted next for the brutal torture, if they hadn't been taken yet.

Hours and hours went by, until no one was left in the building except for the homicide detectives going over police and work records, witness statements and evidence. Anything and everything in the hopes it would lead them in the right direction.

"I've got something." Frankie announced a while later, everyone practically jumping out of their seats in excitement at the prospect of a good lead. The other detectives crowded around the middle Rizzoli's desk, sipping on coffee that was no longer hot. But they didn't care or even notice, they were too engrossed in work to get up and make a fresh pot. "Apparently, a woman was attacked by a man who came after her with a saw just days before Jane Doe #17 was killed in the same area."

"Did she get a description of him?" Korsak asked as he finished the last of his coffee.

"Wow... There isn't even a full statement here." Frankie huffed in anger and disbelief. "She's a homeless woman on drugs. They probably didn't believe her story."

"We should talk to her." Jane said, not even caring about the possible low credibility of the witness. "If there's a chance she can ID him from the people on this list, than this case could be over soon and all those victims will get the justice they deserve... Frankie, where's the woman now?"

"Upstate, in Amesbury... She's currently being held on possession of heroin and can't afford bail. There's not much about her that I can find except for the occasional drug charge."

"Amesbury isn't that far of a drive. Let's go." Jane hurried over to her desk again, throwing on her blazer and grabbing the car keys.

"Can I come?" Maura asked, surprising Jane slightly. "If this woman abusing drugs is mentally unstable, perhaps I could be of assistance with my knowledge in the psychological field."

"That's a good idea. You sure you don't need to stick around here for the autopsy?"

Maura shook her head. "I've done all I can for now. I'm waiting on some toxicology results, but they won't be ready for several hours. Besides, we've been stuck in this building for quite a few days. A little time out would do some good for us, even if it is case related."

"True..." Jane agreed. "But we aren't listening to Yo-Yo Ma on the way!"

"I told you... I don't listen to Yo-Yo Ma." Maura replied with a faux incredulous expression, but Jane simply raised an eyebrow at her, remembering their previous conversation about this exact thing. In order to save herself from getting hives the second time that week, Maura caved and told the truth. "Ok, I listen to him but _not_ in the car. So there."

"I knew I'd get you."

"Hardly fair considering I can't lie." Maura's eyes sparkled with amusement, Jane grinning at her while she laughed. "I'll have to get you back somehow."

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't. We'll find out after this little road trip." Jane extended her arm towards the door, gesturing for Maura to go. "After you, milady."

"Why thank you, kind sir." Maura knew Jane would get a kick out of that, cracking up at the sound of a gasp followed by her name.

Meanwhile, Frost was shaking his head as he followed them out of the room.

 _"When will those two just get together already?"_ He thought to himself. Frost knew they loved one another, but for some reason neither admitted their feelings. Maybe they were too scared? He'd expect that from a nervous person like Maura, not a tough girl like Jane. _"Hmm... Maybe it'll happen soon? They have been flirting a lot more recently. Damn it, Jane. Get some damn balls and tell Maura how you feel!"_

"Frost!" Jane broke him from his daydreaming, yelling from inside of the elevator as she was holding the heavy metal doors open with her arm. "You coming or not?"

"Have some damn patience, Jane." Frost barked back playfully, and hurried inside the elevator. Maura pressed the button and the doors closed, and they began their descent downstairs to the garage.

* * *

"I'm Sergeant Coughlin, I'm the one who arrested Miss Otsuka yesterday morning." The man shook each of their hands after greeting the trio when they walked into the Amesbury police station, just a little over an hour after calling them. "So which one of you is the translator?"

"Say what now?" Jane asked, her confused face matching Maura and Frost's.

"The translator." Coughlin repeated, stopping just outside of the interrogation room presumably where the witness was waiting. "Didn't anyone tell you? Miss Otsuka only speaks Japanese. She doesn't know any English and our only Japanese speaking officer is on vacation right now."

"Oh dear..." Maura frowned. "I don't know any Japanese, and I think it's too late in the day to get a translator out here."

"Maura? The walking encyclopedia. Doctor Google... Doesn't know Japanese? I thought you knew multiple languages?" Jane teased with a friendly smile, nudging Maura's arm with her own.

"I know English, French, Serbian, Spanish, and some Italian I picked up from you and your mother. I'm afraid I don't know any Japanese except for the word hello." She looked apologetic and guilty, as if Maura had somehow let Jane down.

Jane gave Maura a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. "Relax, Maur. I got this. You two go stand on the other side."

"But Jane-"

"I got this." Jane smiled at her assuringly, and stepped inside the interrogation room. When she closed the door, the young woman picked her head and frantically searched for the origin of the sound that scared her. She visibly relaxed at the sight of Jane, knowing it wasn't someone worse coming after her.

 ** _"Miss Otsuka?"_** Jane greeted with a polite and quiet tone as she sat down across from her. The woman appeared to be very thin, skittish at every sound or movement. Jane wanted to take every precaution necessary to keep Otsuka calm and cooperative. _ **"My name is Jane Rizzoli. I'm a detective from Boston. I'm here to talk with you. Is that alright?"**_

This stunned Maura and Frost, who were watching on the other side of the glass. Jane was speaking Japanese, rather fluently from what they could tell so far. They thought Jane only knew English and Italian.

 _"What else is she keeping from me? First it was her knowing about the victim's injuries, now it's another language."_ Maura wondered how much she didn't know about her best friend, and was hoping she'd find some things out after the case. She just tacked it on her mental list of things to ask about later.

Back in interrogation, Otsuko was weary and silent. She didn't speak to Jane but appeared to be listening to every word she said.

 _ **"Can I call you by your first name? It's Seiko, right?"**_

The woman fidgeted with her hands as she looked down, but Jane heard her mumble something.

 ** _"I'm sorry, what did you say?"_**

 ** _"I said, you can call me Sei."_** She spoke a little more loudly, surprising Jane with gaining enough confidence to speak to a stranger so quickly.

 ** _"Ok, Sei."_** Jane didn't mind using the nickname. If it made the witness more comfortable, then of course she'd do that for her. **_"Can you tell me what happened?"_**

 ** _"I was arrested for drugs. I'm not sure why a Boston detective is here for that."_** Sei replied, almost standoffish and combative. Jane expected that, though. Given the extensive drug use and the fact that no one took her story seriously.

 ** _"I'm not here about the heroin..."_** Jane began slowly, hoping to ease into a possibly traumatic subject for Sei. **_"You were attacked by a man wielding a saw a few weeks ago. That's how you got that scar on your arm, isn't it?"_**

Sei flinched, clutching at the mentioned scar in reflex. The poor woman looked terrified, so Jane extended a hand to gently hold Sei's. The touch was soothing to the shaken up woman, whose shoulders dropped. Tension faded within a few seconds.

 ** _"Why should I tell that story again? No one believed me, just because I am homeless and take drugs. Maybe that's reason enough..."_**

 ** _"I'm here now."_** Jane told her. **_"And I believe you."_**

 ** _"You do? But why?"_** She looked both astonished and hopeful at the prospect of someone finally willing to listen to her.

 ** _"Because I know that man is out there. He's killed so many... Not you. You survived. You survived so you can help."_**

 ** _"How can I help? They're dead, aren't they?"_**

 ** _"You can prevent him from doing this to anyone else, ever again. You just have to tell me what he looks like."_**

 ** _"Ok."_**

Jane smiled, letting her relief and happiness show. She slid the folder she had brought in across the table, opening it up for Sei to look through.

 ** _"In this folder is a list of 48 men with their pictures. We believe it's one of them who has been doing all of this. All you have to do is point to one of them. Take your time and be absolutely sure."_**

Maura was impressed with whatever Jane was saying. Just minutes ago, this woman was angry and silent. After a few soft spoken words from Jane, she was opening up and wanting to help. She loved seeing that side of Jane, the usually brash and fiery woman being sweet and kind. Not many people had the luxury. Maura was grateful to experience it on more than one occasion, Jane teasing her in the beginning of their friendship to never let anyone know she was secretly a big old softy inside.

Several minutes went by until Sei suddenly froze, her dark eyes widened at one of the photos.

 ** _"Sei? It's ok. We can protect you from him..."_** Jane whispered. **_"I promise you that you'll be safe."_**

 ** _"It's... It's him. He's the one who came after me."_** Sei started to sob, Jane grabbing a tissue that was luckily nearby.

 ** _"I trust you, but I need to ask anyway... Are you 100% positive that's the person who attacked you?"_**

 ** _"Yes."_** The small dark haired woman answered with a sniffle. **_"I could never forget those eyes. When he tried to kill me, they looked so demonic and full of rage. It was like he was going to take great pleasure out of something so awful..."_**

 ** _"I'm sorry you had to go through that..."_** Jane sympathized, flashing back to her own ordeal with Hoyt. **_"Can I ask you one more question?"_**

 ** _"Sure."_**

 ** _"Were you ever pregnant?"_**

Sei's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ** _"Yes, about 8 or 9 years ago. I gave the baby up for adoption because I would not have been a good mother. I think me being arrested for heroin proves that... Why do you ask?"_**

 ** _"We just need to know for our records, there wasn't much information about you is all."_** Jane cleverly lied, not wanting the fragile woman to know she was targeted for having a baby. She started to get up from the chair, ready to leave. **_"I promise that we'll find him. We know his name now, because of you. You just helped bring justice to so many victims, and saved the lives of who knows how many others."_**

 ** _"Really?"_**

 ** _"You bet."_** Jane threw her another smile, bringing the woman a little more comfort and assurance that things would be ok. **_"I've got to get back to work and find this guy, now. Thank you so much for your help."_**

 ** _"Wait..."_** Jane's hand stopped just before it reached the doorknob, then turned to face Sei once more. **_"What will happen to me?"_**

 ** _"You'll be safe... As for your addiction? That's up to you to stay clean. If the information you gave us is the truth, then you have the chance to go to a rehab facility instead of prison."_**

 ** _"Yes, it is the truth. That night terrified me... I swore to myself I would never do drugs again. I promise I will stay clean and go to rehab."_**

 ** _"Good. I'm glad you want to go down this path and have a better life for yourself."_** Jane said to her, getting a small smile from Sei. The brunette reached into her pocket and took out one of her cards, sliding it onto the table. **_"Take this. If you ever need to call me, go right ahead."_**

 ** _"Thank you, Detective."_**

 ** _"You're welcome, Sei. See you around."_**

Jane walked out and closed the door behind her, where Maura and Frost were anxiously waiting.

"Since when do you speak fluent Japanese?" Maura asked, not wasting any time since curiosity got the best of her.

"That's what I'd like to know." Frost commented, just as eager to know as Maura was. "You spoke it perfectly. The witness seemed to have understood everything you said."

"I just remembered a few things from high school." Jane shrugged, trying to downplay it and hoped they'd change the subject. Of course Maura didn't let it go.

"That's more than a few things." Maura scoffed at Jane's flimsy excuse. "You were able to conduct and entire conversation about horrible things, I highly doubt they'd teach you those types of words in high school."

"Look, can we just drop this for now? We've got a freaking psycho to catch!" Jane stormed off, leaving Maura and Frost looking at each other. Both wondered why Jane seemed so angry and upset, but remained silent about the subject as they followed her out. The briefly spoke with Sergeant Coughlin again about the case, but were soon in their way back to Boston.

* * *

The car ride home was tense between the three. Jane felt badly for snapping at Maura, but at the same time she didn't want to tell her why did. She was backed into a corner and just lashed out...

"It's so hot I feel like I'm gonna melt." Jane laughed uneasily, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Jane nervously waited for a response and was relieved to see Maura crack a smile.

"That's impossible. You'd have to be on fire for that happen, or submerged in lava..." Maura explained, chuckling when Jane rolled her eyes for being so literal. "And if you were on fire, someone would be there to put you out in time... If you're complaining now, imagine how you'd feel if you were actually on fire or in lava."

Jane cracked up at that, a large part of her relieved once again to know that Maura wasn't too mad at her if she was making jokes.

"I think if I were melting or on fire, I'd have a right to complain."

"I agree..." Maura patted Jane's leg, not realizing she was creating a reaction not far from her hand. Jane clutched the wheel, her knuckles turning white. She prayed Maura wouldn't notice. Jane actually let out a strained breath when Maura took her hand away, almost whimpering at the loss. "But let's not think about that. I'd hate for something like that to happen to you. I worry enough when you go out into the field, I don't need your wild _what ifs_ to think about as well."

It took Jane a moment to recover. She was so touched by Maura's words, and a little guilty. Jane never wanted to put Maura through something as stressful as deep worry and fear.

"I'm sorry I worry you so much... I don't mean to." Jane glanced at Maura for a moment, before returning her eyes to the road as she drove along the mostly empty highway.

"I know." She softly sighed. "But you don't need to apologize... You're just doing you're job."

"Yeah, but you know I care about you. I love-" Jane stopped mid sentence, Maura tilting her head in curiosity.

"What were you going to say?"

"I uh... I love you. You're my best friend, of course I love you."

Maura tried to hide her disappointment, wishing she meant that in another way. In a wistful and longing tone, she said "I love you too, Jane." In her mind, she added _"More than you know."_

Just then, Frost snored loudly in the backseat. The unexpected sound startling Maura, the two women laughing over it.

"Maybe we should've left him in Boston." Jane shook her head.

"Can you blame him, though?" Maura giggled. "He was awfully tired. Working several days in a row with little sleep."

"Yeah, but-"

"And how about you?" Maura smugly asked, cutting Jane off without a thought.

"What about me?"

"When you fall asleep on my couch after a long day... Your snoring has scared poor Bass so much he goes into another room and retreats into his shell. It takes me a whole day to get him out again."

"Wha... Are..." Jane was at a loss for words, her mouth agape as she continued driving in shock. "Poor Bass?! It's not my fault your turtle hates me. It had nothing to do with snoring, which I don't do anyway but that's beside the point. He's got it out for me!"

"Tortoise." Maura corrected as she squinted her eyes in frustration, but was secretly loving their bickering. "And I wonder why? You don't call him by the correct species!"

"You say tomato..." Jane laughed. When they fell silent for a few minutes, just coasting along the same long stretch of road they had been on for 15 minutes, the detective spoke again. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"Why did you?" She softly asked, not wanting to frighten Jane into building up her steel walls again. It was rare for Jane to let people in.

"This case is getting to me. I know that's no excuse for how I talked to you, though."

Maura took one of Jane's hands from the wheel, knowing she was fully capable of driving with one at their relatively low speed, and gave it a gentle squeeze and kiss.

"I forgive you. But you know you can always talk to me... About anything that's on your mind."

Both women were thinking about what Jane was hiding, not the case.

Jane stared ahead of her for a moment, contemplating what she was about to say. Maura knew she was having trouble, so she didn't talk and let her think as long as she needed.

"Can we talk after this case is over?" Jane finally asked, ready to share what was on her mind.

"Of course. Your place or mine?"

"I think my place would be better. I love Ma, but I don't really want her barging in or overhearing anything."

"How about we talk over Chinese food? I'll buy."

"Thanks, Maur... You're the best."

Maura knew whatever Jane was hiding was bothering her to the point she was upset, even angry. So she decided to say something that would hopefully cheer her up some.

"I know."

* * *

Korsak, Frankie, and Nina were all working on finding the killer, going back and forth between the bullpen and BRIC. Jane had sent the crucial information to them while still at the Amesbury police department, so by the time they got back to BPD the killer would be found or at least close to being found. She didn't want to waste a single second now that they had a name and face for the sick killer.

Maura had gone back down into the morgue, going over the body yet again in hopes of coming across something she missed. She didn't though, everyone knew if there was something on or in the body, Maura would've found it her first time around.

"This guy definitely has it in for mothers..." Frankie said after hearing about how Seiko Ostuko was pregnant, most likely chosen for that reason.

"I can tell why." Jane muttered as she scanned his file. "When he was younger, Pierce Lozano was severely abused by his mother, then abandoned in cruel and uninhabitable conditions. Someone found him, turned him to authorities. He was then placed in foster care, jumping around different homes until was 18. That's when he joined the army, in 1992... As a medic. He became a doctor after he was honorably discharged, but was fired a few years later due to performing unauthorized tactics in surgery that lead to the unnecessary death of the patient. For whatever reason, no charges were filed, but Lozano had to give up his medical license. That was a decade ago. He dropped off the radar and hasn't been heard from since then..."

"That's probably why each location for the victims were all different and spread across the country, he was a drifter." Korsak theorized. "It makes sense. After all, there's no distinct pattern we could find."

"Don't forget what Nina found, though..." Jane reminded him. "There was a large concentration of kills within a hundred mile radius of Boston. That's probably because he was from here. It's possible he could kill again somewhere around here, look at where Seiko was attacked, and Jane Doe #17. Not too far from here. This has gotta be his stomping ground."

"I was thinking the same thing, Janie... And maybe another reason why he may not have left town yet, he could be waiting for this case to make it on the news. Killers love seeing their work broadcasted, especially sadistic ones like Lozano." Her brother explained, to which the others seemed to have agreed with or thought was plausible to an extent. Whatever the case, they had to find the killer, and fast.

"I have an idea..." Jane picked up her phone, pressing the familiar contact name that never failed to speed up her heart rate. "Hey, Maur. Can you come up here for a few minutes? We could use your help on something."

Everyone wondered what Jane needed Maura for, but didn't have to for long. Within 5 minutes of the call, the Isles woman came into the room.

"So what did you want me for again?" Maura inquired. "You didn't really say much on the phone."

Jane patted the empty seat next to her desk so Maura would sit down. Once the blonde did so, was told "You're really smart, right? You've profiled murderers before."

"Both of those statements are true." Maura smirked, then said a little more seriously "I've taken some psychology classes back when I attended BCU. I don't know very much, but I'll help how I can."

"Great... Can you profile our guy? Based on all of the information gathered on him."

"Just give me some time to read everything and I'll do what I can. I'm not that kind of doctor, so I can't guarantee accuracy on what I say."

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't just say that." Jane shot back. "I trust your judgement."

Maura beamed at Jane, then got right to work. She scoured the pages, going back and forth to reference a few things every so often. The doctor was in fierce concentration, no one dared break it in case she was on to something. When Maura kept flipping between the same few pages for several minutes, Jane had a feeling Maura was deep in thought over a theory. The look on her face showed she was battling with her desire to guess, against science and fact.

"C'mon, Maura... Your guess is better than most doctor's. It could really help us."

"Alright." Maura sighed, briefly wondering how Jane knew what she was thinking. Of course she did, though. There was no reason to be surprised by this after spending almost every day together for the last 7 years. Which is why it shocked her so much about Jane's secret. "Well... I was thinking about the victims. How they were all mothers. My theory is that he goes to various places children do, accompanied by their parents."

"Like parks or zoos?" Jane wondered, intrigued by what Maura had to say.

"Exactly. Even traveling carnivals or arcades... Anywhere you'd find a child and the parent together. That could be how he targets them. Either that or to simply observe what he could've had, the jealousy maddening him to the point of killing again and again. It's a vicious and endless cycle."

"That's a good theory... I just hope you're right. Even if he goes to those kinds of places, he could be way across the country by now."

"I've got a couple dozen places to look." Frost interrupted, turning his computer to show them a long list of places like the ones Jane and Maura mentioned. "If Boston is his stomping ground, he'll probably kill again here. So we should look for him the old fashioned way."

"Right." Jane groaned, covering her face with both hands. Muffling into them, she said "Where do we start?"

* * *

The next day, Jane and Frost were at the Franklin Park Zoo. Their plan was to spend a few hours there, hoping to see if Lozano would show up. The chances of that were slim, but it was all they had to go on. If he was still in the Boston area, he could be somewhere else besides the zoo. So that's why Korsak and Frankie went to the New England Aquarium on the wharf. Nina tagged along with Crowe to a carnival that was in Cambridge, only because she used to be a cop and had field training.

The zoo was the 7th place Jane had been to so far, and that wasn't even including places the others had gone.

"Maybe 7 will be our lucky number?"

"I hope so..." Jane kept her eyes trained on the crowd, looking for anything suspicious or by chance, Lozano's face. "It's a long shot he's even still in the state, let alone this place."

"Maybe... But you and Maura have great theories, both of which could be true. Could Lozano be here? Maybe not, but there's a chance he could be. That's why we're here."

"I guess so..." Jane felt better and more optimistic after that little pep talk. "Thanks, bud."

 ** _"You're welcome."_** Frost snickered out in Japanese, earning a slap on the arm from Jane. "What? I just wanted you to know I acknowledged your appreciation."

"You looked that up on google, didn't you?"

Frost pretended to look offended. "No. I used live in Japan for 2 years when I was little, remember?"

"Then why the hell didn't you offer to speak to Seiko?"

"Well, I would have if _someone_ didn'tvolunteer them self." He laughed at her priceless expression. "You walked into interrogation before I had a chance. I would've stopped you, but I was interested to see how things played out."

"Shut up." Jane shoved him, then refocused on her surroundings. Ahead of them, she saw a young boy no older than 5, crying alone. The tall woman altered her partner, and they approached the child. She knelt down beside him and gently asked "What's wrong?"

"My mommy is gone." He wiped his tears on the sleeve of his shirt, eyes bloodshot from crying furiously.

"Let's go find her, ok?" When Jane extended her hand out, the boy refused and shied away from her.

"I don't know you."

"That's ok." Jane smiled, being as friendly as she possibly could. She moved her blazer aside to reveal her gun and badge, the boy's eyes widening in excitement. "Look, I'm a detective. My friend here is one, too. You don't need to be scared of us... I'm Jane, what's your name?"

"Robbie."

"Robbie... Do you want to come with me to go find your mom?" Robbie seemed afraid still, but took Jane's hand anyway. "Ok, so where did you last see her?"

"By the elephants... She was talking to this scary guy and they left together. Mommy looked like she was sad. I tried running after her but I got lost. There's so many people around. I started crying and that's when you came over to me."

"So this just happened?"

"Yeah... Just a minute ago."

Jane exchanged a worried glance glance with Frost, sharing the same thought as him.

 _"This could be Lozano."_

"Frost, check the parking lot. I'll take Robbie to the security office for someone to watch him."

"Got it." He nodded once, then took off back towards the one of the parking lots, hoping he would be at the right one.

When Frost disappeared around the exhibit and no longer in sight, Jane felt a tug at her pant leg. She looked down and saw fear in little blue eyes.

"Is my mommy ok? Why did your friend run away?"

"It's ok. He's just going to look for her in another place. I'm gonna take you somewhere you can feel safe."

"Ok... Could I have a piggy back ride, please? My legs hurt from running so much."

"Sure thing, pal." Jane grinned, hoisting the small kid up onto her back. She walked the whole way back to the zoo office, located near the front entrance.

Once she got there, Jane quickly explained the situation and left Robbie in their care.

"Are you sure I'll be safe here? What if that scary man comes to get me, too?"

"It'll be ok, Robbie. I promise... No one is going to get you while you're with these guys." Jane assured him, tousling his hair in an effort to lighten his worry some. She looked up and happened to glance at the security cameras, just over the manager's shoulder. On one of the screens, there was a woman lying on the ground crying as two men were engaged in a fist fight. One turned, his face in perfect sight of the camera.

It was Lozano.

"Shit." Jane cursed, then bolted out the door but not before yelling "Robbie, stay here and be a good boy for me!"

"I will!" He shouted back, Jane just barely hearing it as she was already outside in the midst of a large crowd of loud people.

She ran as fast as her long legs allowed, pushing past several bystanders and not even caring if they thought she was rude. A few times, she yelled out "Boston Police, move!" which worked for some. By the time she made it to the lot, Frost was just punched across the face. He stumbled backwards from the force of the heavy blow by the trained Army vet, and fell face first into the back of a truck. He was out cold instantly.

Jane pulled out her sidearm right before the killer had a chance to do the same, growling at him while ordering "Don't even think about it, Lozano!"

He seemed stunned this stranger knew his name. Looking at Robbie's mother, to Frost's unconscious body, then back at Jane, Lozano coldly whispered "Kill me."

"I won't unless I have to. Just drop your weapon and put your hands behind your head. Do it. Now! It's over!"

"It's not over until I'm dead. I won't ever stop killing them... They deserve to die."

Jane tightened her grip on the gun, trying her best to keep her anger in check. "Even the good mothers?"

"Especially them." Lozano hissed. "Why should those kids have good moms when I didn't?!"

"It's not their fault. Why would you do that to them?"

"Because they fucking deserve to share my pain!" He growled furiously, pulling out the gun from his belt a little further.

"Don't." Jane warned in a deep and intimidating voice, one that would send chills down anyone's spine. Even his. "We can get you help. We can make that pain go away. You don't have to hurt anyone anymore... Don't do this. You still have a chance."

"I have to..." Lozano teared up, but wouldn't listen to Jane's reasoning. "The pain won't end any other way. You have to kill me. I'm a monster, I know I am. So just fucking kill me!"

She agreed with him about the monster part, but didn't want to kill him. Jane wanted him alive to face trial.

His fingers slowly slid the pistol the rest of the way out, the gun now resting against his hip.

"Don't do it." Jane all but begged the killer. "Just give me a chance and I can get you help."

Lozano shrugged, not seeing any way out of this unless it was in a body bag. "The only help I need is for you to end my miserable life."

"This is your last chance!" Jane yelled when he slowly raised his arm towards her. "Stop!"

But he didn't listen. He brought the gun up further, giving Jane no choice but to shoot. The bullets pierced his chest, and Lozano immediately collapsed to the ground just beside Robbie's mom, who had scurried away from his body that was already bleeding profusely.

Jane rushed over and checked his pulse, but didn't find one. She looked over at the woman and asked "Are you ok, ma'am?"

"I... Yes... Robbie? Where is he? Is he ok?"

"Robbie is fine. I made sure he's safe. I'll take you to him in a minute." The detective informed her, just as Frost started coming to. "You alright there, partner?"

"Oh god..." Frost groaned as he touched a hand to his forehead. "I feel like I had way too much to drink. Damn, my head hurts!"

"Yeah, that's what happens when you fall into the back of a pick up." Jane joked, helping the injured man to his feet and making sure he was steady enough to stand on his own.

"I'll call for back up and take care of things here. Go bring her to Robbie."

"You sure you're ok to do that?" Jane asked, feeling a little uneasy leaving Frost alone after what just happened.

"Don't sweat it. I'll be fine... Robbie needs his mom more than I need an ice pack. I'm sure a unit will be here within a few minutes anyway."

"Well, Lozano is dead so I'm not worried about him anymore... I'll be back as soon as I can. Thanks, bud."

Jane then escorted Robbie's mother, whose name she learned was Thelma, back to where her son was. Along the way, they spoke about what occurred only minutes ago.

"I was fetching quarters in my purse to buy some peanuts to feed the elephants, when that... That man... Approached me." Thelma stuttered out in fear, amazing Jane that she was able to speak about such a traumatic event so quickly after it happened. Perhaps it was her love for Robbie that helped keep her going. "He said my car was being towed, and urged me to come with him. I started to go after Robbie, but the man... Lozano, I think you called him? He grabbed my arm and said if made any noise or did something to attract attention, he'd kill Robbie with his gun. I didn't know what to do... So I just left with him. We got to the parking lot and out of nowhere your friend jumped Lozano. They started fighting. Things got really bad when your friend was knocked out. That's when you showed up. And well... You know the rest."

"I'm sorry you had to get involved in all of that... It was a very horrible situation."

"Thank you for saving me from whatever he was going to do..." She replied with fresh tears in her eyes. "But do you know why? I've never seen him before. I don't know what I did."

"We've been looking for Lozano for a long time..." Jane told her. "I can't say much, but he picked mothers as his victims. You were just an innocent, chosen for a part in his sick games."

Thelma shivered in fear and disgust, very grateful that Jane got to her in time.

It was not a minute later that they reached the office, Thelma practically sprinting over to her son and throwing her arms around him as she cried tears of joy and relief.

"Mommy!" Robbie shouted happily, not even knowing the danger his mother was just in. "Detective Jane, you found her!"

"She sure did, honey." Thelma squeezed tighter, as if she never wanted to let go of her boy again. No one could blame her, though.

Jane watched the happy reunion unfold before her for a few minutes, until she got a call from Frost letting her know uniforms were on scene. She let the small family know, and walked back with them to where everyone was waiting. Including a very relieved Maura Isles, who drove to the zoo as fast as she possibly could once she got Frost's call. The moment Jane was close to her, she wrapped the Italian in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you and Barry are ok."

"So am I, Maur... It's finally over. We did it. We got the son of a bitch and saved someone today."

Both of them relaxed into one another, relieved that the serial killer was finally off the streets.

* * *

"You really should be getting this done at a hospital." Maura scolded Frost as she stitched up the cut on his forehead while he sat on the couch in her office.

"Maybe, but you'd do a better job."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Barry..." She teased him, then said "Thank you, though."

"Don't mention it... So, will the doctor let me have a beer tonight or is that off limits?" The detective gave his biggest smile, hoping to charm his way into a yes.

"Given a head injury that resulted in you losing consciousness, I wouldn't advise it." Seeing his smile falter, Maura felt a little sorry for him. "But I don't think a beer or two would do any harm. Don't go overboard."

"Yes!" Frost pumped his fist in excitement. "Korsak and I were planning on going to the Robber so we can celebrate, you guys wanna come?"

Maura looked at Jane to see what she wanted to do, fine with whatever she decided.

"It's been a long week. I think I'm just gonna go home tonight." Jane yawned as she stretched. "How's tomorrow night sound? I'll be better rested by then."

"Fine by me. How about you, Maura?"

"I think a quite night at home for me sounds pleasant as well, but thank you for the offer. I may join you tomorrow, though." Frost nodded in understanding, it really was a long week for everyone. "Take it easy on the drinking. Have Vince drive you home... And if you feel nauseous or have a severe and prolonging headache, go to the emergency room."

"I will. Thanks for the patch up, Doc."

"You're welcome. Have a good night." She smiled back, watching him leave the room. Once he was gone, she turned to Jane and asked "Would you like some company tonight? I'm all done here so we could leave together if you want. Unless you'd like alone time of course, I know how you like to decompress after a tough case like this one."

"No, come over to my place. I'll be doing a little paperwork with Frankie, but I'd like for you to be there when I get home... Would you mind doing me a favor and taking Jo out? I'm sure that little time bomb needs defusing by now."

"Of course not. I'll get us take out from our favorite place on the way... Are you stocked up on beer?"

"I'm not sure. It's been a while since I looked in my fridge."

"I'll get you a six pack as well, then."

"You don't have to do that."

"But I want to."

"Thanks, Maura." Jane gave her a quick hug, stood up and walked to the door. She stopped to say "See you in a little bit."

* * *

It was nearly 2 hours later, when Jane finally returned home. Jo Friday heard the familiar sound of her owner's keys jingling in the door, and hopped off of Maura's lap to race over.

"Hey girl, miss me?" Jane greeted her dog that was rapidly circling her feet, extremely excited and happy to see her again. Jane leant down to pick her up, receiving frantic licks along her cheek. "Alright, alright... Calm down."

She gave Jo a kiss on her head before setting her down, the small pup trotting off to her bed to lie down. Jane then joined Maura on the couch, who had been watching the sweet and affectionate display.

"Hey."

"Hey back." Maura responded, leaning into Jane's side despite the ample amount of room on the furniture. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah..." She sighed. "Just tired... I can't believe we finally got him. It was really hard tracking him and then bam!" Jane snapped her fingers. "Just like that he's dead and the case is over."

It was an open and shut case. Lozano's car was found in the zoo's parking lot not far from where he was killed, the trunk full of incriminating evidence. The detectives preferred to call it sick souvenirs. In little bags were the severed limbs from recent victims, the rest yet to be found. The saw was also in the trunk covered in dried blood along with other various surgical tools. The worst of it was the photos. An entire collection that could fill a whole album. Every single victim's picture was taken before and after their untimely deaths. The startling fact about those was the number of victims, which was more than originally thought. Everyone was glad the person responsible was finally found, and hoped that those killed could rest in peace now.

"The important thing is that it's over." Maura pulled Jane into another comforting embrace, knowing that was what she needed right now. "You brought so many families the justice they've been waiting for. You made sure that little boy kept his mother today. You're a hero."

"Thank you." Jane mumbled into Maura's shirt. She didn't feel like a hero, but didn't want to argue with her.

Suddenly, Jane was sniffing and Maura thought she was crying.

"What's wrong?"

Jane lifted her head and grinned. "I smell food."

"I was wondering when you'd notice." Maura laughed, both in relief and at Jane's words. "I ordered it when you said you'd be home by, so it's still hot. Your beer is in the fridge... Luckily I picked some up, you were all out."

"God, I love you..." Jane kissed Maura's cheek and ran into the kitchen, not even realizing what she had said and done.

Maura was still on the couch, shell shocked by feeling Jane's lips on her skin. She shook her head to will away certain thoughts and joined her best friend at the kitchen counter.

Together, they divided up the food onto plates and sat down to eat. Maura even surprised Jane by having a beer instead of wine like she usually did.

When the blonde took a sip, the sight turned Jane on for some reason. Even more so when Maura moaned at the delicious taste of what was fast becoming her favorite alcoholic beverage. She didn't like to guess, but she wondered if it had something to do with Jane.

 _"Stop it, Rizzoli... That's your best friend for crying out loud! Your_ straight _best friend!"_ Jane scolded herself, then stuck a fork full of fried noodles in her mouth in an effort to distract herself from the beauty before her. "Mmm... This is really good. I'm glad we chose Chinese tonight."

"So am I. I've been craving it a lot lately, but we've been so busy with work."

"It's a good thing Cavanaugh gave us the next few days off then... I need to catch up on a lot of stuff. Beer, food, and the Sox."

"And I need to watch a few documentaries I missed."

Jane faked a groan for Maura's amusement. "But they're _sooo_ boring!"

"No they are not!" Maura gasped, then narrowed her eyes in suspicion when a thought suddenly occurred to her. "I know for a fact that you enjoyed some of them."

"Oh alright, you caught me... A couple of them may have been interesting." She admitted. "But a lot make me fall asleep."

"What am I going to do with you?" Maura rolled her eyes.

 _"Whatever you want."_ Before a deep blush crept upon her face at the thought of Maura doing just that, Jane quickly said "You gotta admit you like the Sox, though. I've seen you really get into the games when I have them on."

"It took me a while, but yes I do enjoy watching them with you."

"We're pretty good for each other, aren't we?"

"I couldn't imagine my life without you in it, Jane."

The brunette felt her heart swell at the incredibly sweet words. "Same here, Maur."

They fell into a comfortable silence after that as they resumed eating. When they were done and all cleaned up, Jane and Maura took their beers and sat down on the couch together. The only noises in the room being the sounds of steady breathing and the occasional sip of beer.

Maura could tell Jane was mulling over something in her head, probably about what's been bothering her this past week.

"Wanna tell me what's on your mind?" She tentatively asked, noticing Jane was a little nervous as she absentmindedly fiddled with the label on the bottle.

She took another swig of her drink before setting down the now empty bottle on her coffee table, breathing in and out deeply.

"I've never told anyone this before..."

"If it's too difficult to talk about, you don't have to. We can just sit here or watch TV."

"I know..." Jane appreciated the out Maura gave her, but she really wanted to get this off her chest. And there was no one better to do that with than Maura. "When I was 18, I got into BCU. I went for a couple years... I loved it. It was one of the best times of my life."

"Why didn't you graduate?" Maura softy asked as to not upset Jane on a touchy subject.

"I wanted to be a cop."

"What's the _real_ reason?"

"It was killing my Pop. Financially... I really did want to be a cop, but the medical field fascinated me. So my parents encouraged me to go to college, and I did. I mostly studied medicine and human anatomy, but I wanted to take a language too. Back then, the Japanese culture really interested me so I took that. I got really good at it, too."

"So that's why you were able to speak to that witness in Amesbury..."

"Yeah. I'm surprised I wasn't rusty, it's been years since I've spoken it..." Jane began rubbing the crescent shaped scar on her right palm as she was mentally preparing herself for the next thing she was about to say. "One day I overheard Ma and Pop arguing about money... Tuition costed so much and I just couldn't do that to them anymore. So I dropped out. I told them I'd rather be a cop, which was the truth. I really did want to... Don't get me wrong, I love my job and I'm glad I did what I did, but sometimes I have regrets. Ya know? What would've happened if I became a doctor and not a detective?" That's when Jane got teary eyed, a few even slipping out and falling down her face. "I never told my parents about this. They never knew I heard the argument."

Maura's heart broke seeing Jane get upset like that. So she reached forward to cup her face, wiping away the tears.

"Jane Rizzoli... You are, without a doubt, the most selfless person I have ever met. I'm so honored to know you, even more so that we're best friends. What you did for your family, carrying that around with you for so long, is incredible. That goes on the growing list of the many reasons I love you."

The way Maura was holding her and said those things, made Jane tempted to lean in and kiss her. But she was afraid. Thankfully, Maura sensed this and inched closer.

Jane closed her eyes as their lips finally met, her hands limp at her sides until she felt Maura's hands on her back, urging her body closer. She reached for Maura's waist, grasping at her as the kiss intensified.

They broke for air a minute later, simply gazing lovingly at one another.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." Maura whispered against Jane's lips.

"Really?"

Maura pecked her lips once more. "Since the day I met you."

"The hooker outfit was a turn on for you, wasn't it?" Jane joked, making them both laugh. "That's when I wanted to kiss you, too... I think we should do it again."

"Come here, then."

Jane grinned as she captured Maura's lips in a tender kiss, alternating between biting and sucking the bottom one. She reveled in the soft moan Maura emitted, almost getting lost within her pleasure.

"I don't want to live with regrets anymore. I just want you, Maura."

"I only want you, too." Maura tangled a hand in Jane's wild and unruly curls, dipping her head back in for another passionate kiss.

Jane gently pushed Maura's shoulder so she'd lie down on the couch, their mouths never separating.

They didn't know how long they kissed for. It could've been minutes, hours, or even days for all they knew. Time was irrelevant in that moment.

They were panting heavily by the time the kiss broke again, staring at one another with goofy yet adorable grins. Jane rested her head against Maura's chest, both of them welcoming the break. They were both extremely tired, physically and mentally from the week they had. Right now, all they wanted is to be wrapped up in each other's arms.

It was a little while later, Jane still lying on top of Maura, when the smaller woman asked "Does your secret have anything to do with you being upset this week?"

"Yeah... I made a slip at the crime scene and again when I spoke to Seiko. I let on that I knew more than what most people think I do."

"Why don't you want people to know you're smarter? It's not a bad thing."

"I know... This is kind of stupid, but it reminds of BCU and it just upsets me whenever I think about it."

"That's not stupid at all. It's perfectly acceptable reaction."

"I guess so... That's actually why I snapped at you a couple days ago, you kept asking me why I was keeping something from you so I just flipped out. I'm still sorry about that..."

"Jane, you don't need to apologize again. I understand."

"It's not ok. I treated you badly... I took my bad mood out on the person who means the world to me."

Maura gave Jane a quick and chaste kiss on the lips. "Don't worry about that anymore. Let's put it behind us."

"Ok." Jane's face softened, and she rested her head back on Maura's chest.

"Good..." Maura smiled. "Can... Can I tell you something, too?"

"Of course you can." Jane nearly scoffed, but stopped herself after hearing the nervousness in Maura's usually confident voice.

"I have a similar regret to yours."

"You do?"

"Mmmhmm..."

"Do you wanna talk about it? You know I'm here for you, too."

"It's just hard for me to think about sometimes..."

"Take your time. I can listen all night if you need me to."

Maura took a moment, gathering the necessary courage to talk about a painful memory.

"You're not going to believe this, but when I was younger I had aspirations of joining law enforcement."

Jane shifted on top, resting on her elbows as she looked down into Maura's eyes. "Really?"

"Yes. I always enjoyed watching crime shows and movies... I wanted to be just like them. When I was 17, ready to graduate high school, I told my mother I wanted to be in the Secret Service. That I wanted to be one of the people who protects the president."

"Wow... That's really cool. What happened? Why didn't you go for it?"

"Mother didn't approve..." Maura frowned. "She told me to focus on my studies and become a doctor. Being in law enforcement didn't really live up to her standards, so I didn't want to disappoint her. I went to college and pursued a career in medicine like she thought I should."

Jane suddenly started to laugh, and Maura looked hurt.

"What's so funny?"

"Sweetie, I'm sorry..." Jane apologized with a kiss, affectionately brushing a few hairs out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. "I wasn't laughing at you. It's just... We're complete opposite. I almost became a doctor and you could've been a cop... Well, an agent. But still. Now the roles are switched. Man, we're quite a pair."

"I'm glad we went down these paths, though... Whether it was by choice or not. If we didn't, we may not be here right now, with each other. And I wouldn't be able to kiss you." Maura said, kissing Jane softly.

"I love you, Maura... I'm... I'm _in_ love with you." She admitted, and feared she said the wrong thing when Maura started to cry. Jane knew she was wrong when Maura crashed their lips together yet again in a bruising kiss.

"I'm in love with you, too... And I have one more regret I need to share."

"What's that?"

"Not telling you how I felt sooner."

"I feel the same way, Maura."

"We have a lot of time to make up for, you know..." She seductively trailed a finger along Jane's toned arm, causing the detective to shiver in delight.

Jane shifted a leg in between Maura's thighs, pushing up against her center and nipping at her ear at the same time.

"And how do you suggest we do that?" She purred.

"By doing this..." Maura gasped when Jane took an earlobe between her teeth, tugging gently. "This... every day. As much as possible."

Jane smirked into the next kiss, both of them slowly removing their clothing as they did.

"I don't have a problem with that."

* * *

 **Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed! Be sure to leave a review so I know what you think :)**


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